Cement-block lifter.



PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

E. H. SAMUELSON. CEMENT BLDOK LIFTER. urmonxon FILED JULY 31. 1905.

THE NORRIS r-zrsn's ca, WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PAEENT OFFICE.

CEMENT-BLOCK LIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jury 3, 1906.

Application filed July 31,1905. Serial No. 271,956.

To all 2072,0111, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. SAMUEL- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boone, in the county of Boone and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Cement-Block Lifter, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a lifter of simple, strong, durable, and inexpensive construction designed to be used for lifting and handling cement blocks formed with vertical openings through them, said lifter so arranged that the block may be handled entirely by the lifter and may be placed in position in a wall where it is to be finally located and after being so placed the lifter may be removed without disturbing the position of the block in the wall.

A further object is to provide a device of this class that may be easily and quickly adjusted to adapt itself for blocks of various sizes and shapes and that may also be used in connection with a rope for elevating and handling cement blocks.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a lifter embodying my invention and applied to a cement block. The dotted lines show the positions of the parts when disengaged from contact with the block. Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a modified form of my invention with ropes connected to the handles thereof.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the body portion of the lifter is composed of two bars 10, connected by the hinge 11, which is arranged to limit the upward movement of the outer ends of the bars relative to each other to a point slightly above a straight line through the bars and to permit the outer ends of said bars to move downwardly toward each other. In the outer end portions of the bars are the longitudinal slots 12, and beyond the slots the ends of the bars are inclined upwardly a slight distance at 13 and are shaped to receive the handles 14*, which are bolted thereto. There is a blockengaging member for each of said bars, each member comprising an upright body portion 14 and a top piece 15, designed to lie flat against the under surface of the bar 10 and arranged to receive a bolt 16, by which it may be detachably and adjustably secured to the bar 10. Said bolt is passed through the slot 12. At the lower end of the body portion 14 is a bar 17, extending downwardly and outwardly and provided with the toothed surface 18 at its lower outer end. The width of the bar 14 is such as to approximately fit the interior of the vertical openings of the cement block which it is intended to lift by means of my improved lifter.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 2 the parts are the same as in Fig. 1, except that handles 19 are substituted for the handles 14*.

and are provided with loops 20 at their outer ends, each of said loops formed with an upwardly-inclined portion 21 at its center to receive a hook 22. Said hooks are connected with each other by the ropes 23, and in this way the lifter, together with the block, may be handled by means of a ropeor the like.

In practical use and assuming that the cement blocks to be handled are of the kind illustrated in Fig. 1 then I use the block-engaging members 14 of a width slightly less than the width of the openings in the block. I first elevate the central portions of the bars 10, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and then insert the block-engaging members in the openings of the block. I then grasp the handles 14 and move their outer ends upwardly until the block-engaging members come in contact with the end portions of the block inside of the openings therein. The said block-engaging members are placed in engagement with the block at a considerable distance above the under surface of the block, and when in this position the handles 14 will stand at a considerable distance above the top of the block, at least so far that the ends of the handles 14 may be moved downwardly as required to disengage from the block without having the handles come below a point in line with the top of the block. In this way the block may be handled or carried from place to place by grasping the handles 14 only, and the outer surface of the block is not scratched or marred in any way by the lifter, so that even if the block-engaging members should scratch or mar the block where they engage it this would not be objectionable. Assuming that it is desired to place a block in a wall composed of similar blocks and there is only room between the blocks already laid to receive said block, the operator may by grasping the handles lower the block to the exact position where it is desired to place it and may move it about as desired, and during all of this operation no part of the block-lifter will be in position where it will engage any of the adjacent blocks of the wall, and the handles 14 may be then moved for releasing the lifter without coming in contact with other blocks in the wall, and by having the width of the members 14 corresponding substantially to the width of the openings in the block it is obvious that even if the said openings are not in the center of the block the block cannot tilt and can be handled accurately and easily by means of the handles alone, and further by adjustably and detachably connecting the members 14 with the bars the device may be quickly and easily adapted for blocks of different sizes and shapes, and new block-engaging members 14 may be readily substituted if it is desired to use such members of different widths. Furthermore, by providing the handles with the curved portions 21 hooks or ropes may be connected therewith for elevating and handling the blocks, and said hooks or ropes will be accurately retained in the centers of said handle members.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent therefor, is

1. In an implement of' the class described, the combination of two bars hinged together, means for limiting the movement of the hinge-joint, handles on the bars and engaging members fixed to the bars and extended downwardly and outwardly therefrom.

2. A cement-block lifter, comprising two bars, a hinge for connecting them, said hinge permitting the outer ends of the bars to move downwardly and limiting the upward move= ment of said outer ends to a point slightly above a position where the said bars are in alinement with each other, each of said bars provided with a longitudinal slot, a handle on each bar formed with a loop and with an upwardly-curved portion at the central portion of the loop, and a block-engaging member for each bar, comprising a straight body portion at right angles to the bar, a top piece provided with a bolt, which bolt passes through the said. slot to adjustably and detachably connect the block-engaging member with the bar, the lower end of each block-engaging member projected downwardly and outwardly and provided with a toothed outer end.

EDl/VARD H. SAMUELSON.

WVitnesses:

D. R. HINDMAN, NAOMI A. WALKER. 

